1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to the field of heating devices. In particular, the present invention is a portable chain drying apparatus for drying or warming snow chains.
2. Description of The Prior Art
Many people who drive in snow weather conditions are often required to have chains for their vehicle's tires. After the chains are used and removed from the vehicle, they are usually very wet because of the snow and slush. People usually remove the chains and store them in the trunk of the vehicle or place them back in the original container. Since the chains are still wet, they clearly rust within a matter of a few days or weeks and by the time they are to be subsequently used, the chains are frequently rusted. The rusted chains are very difficult to install and are frequently replaced with new snow chains. This is not practical.
The following prior art references are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,888 issued to Hoffmann on Apr. 30, 1957 for "Apparatus For Heating And Moistening Air For Food Carts" (hereafter "the Hoffmann Patent").
2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,949 issued to Miles on Mar. 15, 1966 for "Drying Cabinet" (hereafter "the Miles Patent").
3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,650 issued to Brahm on May 4, 1971 for "Portable And Collapsible Clothes Drier Receptacle" (hereafter "the Brahm Patent").
4. U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,102 issued to Yonezawa on Oct. 12, 1976 for "Dryer Apparatus For Hairs Of Pet Dogs" (hereafter "the Yonezawa Patent").
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,072 issued to Brist et al. on Oct. 22, 1985 for "Proofing Or Heating Cabinet" (hereafter "the Brist Patent").
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,903 issued to Bloom et al. on Dec. 24, 1985 for "Pet Dryer" (hereafter "the Bloom Patent").
7. U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,290 issued to DeMars on Apr. 17, 1990 for "Portable Towel Heating Device" (hereafter "the DeMars Patent").
8. U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,177 issued to Kinberger on Oct. 27, 1992 for "Container For Transporting Hot Ready-To-Eat Meals And Keeping Them Hot" (hereafter "the Kinberger Patent").
The DeMars Patent discloses a portable towel heating device. It includes a cabinet with two compartments. The upper compartment of the cabinet includes a support member for supporting a towel and the lower compartment includes a blower for generating a flow of heated air. The hot air is deflected by a deflector through the supporting member and through the towel.
The Yonezawa Patent discloses a dryer apparatus for drying the hair of pet dogs. It includes a box comprising transparent glass sidewalls with an upper compartment and a lower compartment. The front side of the box is an openable door. A plurality of apertures are provided in the central portion of the door so that the nose of a dog Can project outward. The lower compartment is for retaining the dog and the upper compartment is for retaining the dryer apparatus. The dryer apparatus is attached to an inner plate and below the dryer apparatus is a wire net so that the dog hairs do not fall onto the dryer apparatus.
The Bloom Patent discloses a pet dryer. It includes an inner shell spaced within an outer shell. A blower is provided and receives outside air from an inlet plenum defined between the shells. The blower discharges the air past a heater to a discharge plenum also defined between the shells. An aperture allows the heated air from the discharge plenum into the inner shell for drying the pet.
The Miles Patent discloses a drying cabinet. It includes a cabinet and a drying chamber which is assembled within the cabinet. The drying chamber includes trays which are slidably received within the chamber.
The Brahm Patent discloses a portable and collapsible clothes drier receptacle mounted on a foldable frame and attached to a heater-blower unit.
The Hoffmann Patent discloses an apparatus for heating and moistening air for food carts.
The Brist Patent discloses a proofing or heating cabinet.
The Kinberger Patent discloses a container for transporting hot ready-to-eat meals.
None of the prior art drying apparatus are suitable for drying or warming snow chains. Most of the drying apparatuses are utilized for drying pets such as a dog or keeping food warm.
Therefore, there is a need for a portable chain drying apparatus which can dry the snow chains immediately after use, so that the snow chains will not rust, and which can also be used to warm the snow chains prior to installing the snow chains. In addition, the snow chains can easily be reused again and again without costly replacement the snow chains.